Single contact electric socket



Oct. 23, 1934. .1. M. ROPER SINGLE CONTACT ELECTRIC SOCKET Filed Nov.25, 1953 BEND 4/){5 JOHN M. POPER INVENTOR Bwym ATTORNEY Patented Oct.23,1934

. t 1,978,115 r )SINGLE CONTACT ELECTRIC SOCKET John MtRoper,Washington; D. C. Application November 23, 933, Serial No. 692 526 7Claims. -(c1. 173-328) (Granted under the act -oLMarch s, 1883, .as 1amended April-30,1928;370 06.175?) fil his invention;relates. to asingle contactelectric socket-and has for an object to provide improvedelectrical-sockets especially useful on aircraft, .both of .the lighterand heavierthan air M type-wheretheeconomyof spaceand weight are:desirableieatures.

(A turtherobjectof this invention is to providean;electricalsocket.especially adapted for holding electrical lamps ofthe bayonet joint type foruse -1 0 .qn vehiclesof all descriptions, bothvehicles used tinthela-ir, on the ground, on the water, and underthewater. v

A further object of this invention is to provide ;a lampsocketoccupying-a minimum amount of spaceand Weight which will be especiallyuseful jonlivehicles suchasaircraft, and more particularly, on thewingsurfaces and edges; so as to receive and holdalamp in such positionswithout seriously affecting the aerodynamic characteristicsfof the..wingsurfaces.

NA still, further object of. this invention is to provide asinglecontact lamp socket in combinationiwi-th. a, meta1 covered- ,conduitcable wherein the ,metalcover on the conduit' cable actsasa ground orreturn lead forthe circuit.

,A still further object of this invention is to providean electricalsocketwherein the terminal is fixedly-secured to the conductor memberand the lamp is yieldably held in contact with the termiao nal ratherthan the conventional type wherein the lamp isfixedly held, inthesocketand the terminal is yieldably held against the lamp. f

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consistsin theconstruction, combina- ,tion. and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described.

Reference is to be had to theacccmpanying drawing forming a part of thisspecificationin jwhichulike .reierence characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig.1isga top la socket;

oEig. 2,.is a cross section on the line 22 of view of V the, assembledFig, 3 .is aside elevation of the socket shell; Fig.4 is a top1elevationof thesocketshell';

Fig. 5 is across section on line 5+5of Fig; 4.

, Fig. 6 is a'development of the socket shell ac -b an Fig. T is, atopplanview of the socket housing; .and b 1, "Fig, 8 is a cross sectiononthe line 8'--8 of Fig, 7.

There is; shownat 10 the assembled socket conj stituting this invention.socketlO comprises bottom'of. the conducting terminal llf Thetop .of theinsulator 12 is likewise aperturedasat 17 to permit a hump 18 formedin'the terminal 11' to which rnakes contactvvithth terminal oniaChnventional bayonet joint type single Icont'a'ct. electric lamp. Theassembled terminal 11 and'insulater 12 is placed in ajcap nut 19 whichis aper- {internally projecting rim or flange 3'3 fof the' Socket thebossi32 on flange 23 r housing 2:1.enter'swith- 1 within the socketshell 23 pla es theftabffsl into a terminal 11 of conducting materialaboutthe flanges of which are molded an insulator 12, thisinsulator-12being formed byplaciil tw wasne'rlike members '13 and 14 onopposite sides" of the flanges of the terminal 11 and'moldingfthemtogether under pressure, it being 'understoodhdweverthatthe.. insulato1' '12 m ybe made of one piece as desired; by placing theterrriihal'l l'lji n an appropriate mold. in whichi a suitableinsulating material suchas phenolic condensation.prod uot. of the typeeommerci uyknown as bakelite is placed. The insulator 12 is providedwithan aperture 15 in the bottom thereof through which a conductor froma flangedconduit cable 'ferifule 16 is permanently secured asbylfsoldering ltdf he project above the upper surface of theinsulatorIZ- This hump 18fprovides a Contact terminal tured to permitfthe conduit16 top'ass therej v j through. This cap nut 19 is internally threaded asat 20. Threaded into the apgnut 19 isfthe socket housing 21 whichcontains a yieldabl'e compression spring 22 and a socket shell 23.

The socket shell 23 more clearly shown in. Figs. 3-6, inclusive, iscylindrical in shape havinga projecting flange 24 at the "basethereoflTliis socket shell23 is provided with a pair oft yqnet $196525and-1,26newest-r c ive the entrance slot .28 by abo 29 tocoop t baldi piwhe e e i n lam I b .iinsertediitherein." The bayonetslot26 isconnec't-,edfto arecess sl ot B placed 'in the tap nut lathe ]socket, ,shell "23lis assembled vvitl in the socket housingfilby f rst placing thecompression spring 22 within the k- 1 i eket shell 23 is then projectedthrou h the; aperture j in the socket housing 21,.its bafse ZlcQmpressing the spring 22 as it enters withinl the hou g 21,

. t i e ay t sl 2 u ii jit re ch s. ebe tte 31. The socket shell 23 andhousing 21 are then rotated relative to each other causing the boss 32to enter the slot 30. A suitable tool then placed the cylindrical planeof the socket shell 23 thereby closing off the slot 30 and preventingthe separation of the shell 23 from the housing 21.

With the shell 23 and housing 21 thus assembled and locked againstseparation, the housing 21 is then threaded into the internal threads 20of the cap nut 19 completing the assembly of the lamp socket.

In operation, a conventional single contact bulb is placed into thesocket 10 by means of the bayonet slots 25 and 26 being held in therecesses 2'7 therein, but the fact that the compression spring 22 yieldsas the lamp is inserted permits the shell 23 to ride upwardly within thelimits of the movement of the boss 32 in the slot 30. With thisconstruction it will be observed that the terminal 11 is securely heldto the wiring of the conduit cable 16. The electric lamp is held in thesocket shell 23 and is held yieldable against the contact hump 18 of theterminal 11. I

The circuit passes through the conductor, in the metal covered conduitcable and cable ferrule 16, to the terminal 11 and contact hump 18, intothe single contact of the lamp through the lamp filament, to the side ofthe base of the lamp, to the socket shell 23, the socket housing 21, thecap nut 19 and then is grounded for the return or completion of thecircuit through the metal cover on the conduit cable and cable ferrule16. The connection between the wiring of the conduit and contact 11 maybe made as secure as possible, there being no yielding partstherebetween as in the conventional plunger type contact and there isthus no possibility of corrosion of the contact preventing thecompletion of the circuit from the conduit to the lamp. Further, it isimpossible to pull the conduit cable and cable ferrule 16 away from theterminal 11 due to the elimination of any yielding parts therebetween.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanyingdrawing comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of myinvention and that various changes in construction, proportion andarrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket comprising a cap nut, an internally projectingapertured flange on said nut,

' an insulated terminal member in said cap nut,

a conduit to said terminal member extending through the aperture of saidnut flange, and a lamp socket assembly threadedly secured within saidcap nut a ferrule on said conduit extending through the aperture of saidcap nut, an externally extending flange on said ferrule, said ferruleflange being secured between said cap nut flange and said insulatedterminal member by said lamp socket assembly pressing against saidterminal member.

2. A lamp socket comprising an apertured cap nut, an insulated terminalmember in said apertured cap nut, a conduit to said terminal memberextending through the aperture of said nut, a lamp socket assemblythreadedly secured in said cap nut, a conduit ferrule extending throughthe aperture of said cap nut, an externally extending flange on saidferrule, said flange being secured between said cap nut and said lampsocket assembly, said lamp socket assembly comprising an inner socketshell, an outwardly flanged base on said shell, a socket housing, aninwardly flanged rim on said socket housing, said rim being apertured,and a compression spring, said socket shell being placed within saidshell housing and said compression spring being secured between saidhousing rim and said shell base.

3. A lamp socket comprising an apertured cap nut, an insulated terminalmember in said apertured cap nut, a conduit to said terminal memberextending through the aperture of said nut, a lamp socket assemblythreadedly secured in said cap nut, said lamp socket assembly comprisingan inner socket shell, an outwardly flanged base on said shell, a sockethousing, an inwardly flanged rim on said socket housing, said rim beingapertured, an internally projecting boss on said housing rim, acompression spring, said socket shell being placed within said shellhousing, said compression spring being secured between said housing rimand said shell flange, a pair of bayonet joint slots in said socketshell extending to the edge of said shell, an internal slot connected toone of said bayonet slots and a bendable tab seplamp socket assemblythreadedly secured in said cap nut, said lamp socket assembly comprisingan inner socket shell, an outwardly flanged base on said shell, a sockethousing, an inwardly flanged rim on said socket housing, said rim beingapertured, an internally projecting boss on said housing rim, acompression spring, said socket shell being placed within said shellhousing, said compression spring being secured between said housing rimand said shell flange, a pair of bayonet joint slots in said socketshell extending to the edge of said shell, an internal slot connected toone of said bayonet slots and a bendable tab separating said internalslot from said bayonet slot, said internal slot being adapted to receivesaid housing rim boss therein, and to lock said boss therein by havingsaid bendable tab placed in the cylindrical plane of said shell, saidinsulated terminal comprising a washer-like conductor member, aninsulation molded about the periphery of said washer-like conductormember, and a bump formed in the center of said washer-like member andextending beyond the surface of the molded insulation, said humpproviding the terminal contact.

5. In a single contact lamp socket, a terminal contact member comprisinga disc like member of conducting material, insulation means securedabout the peripheral flange of said disc like member, the center of saiddisc member being formed into a hump projecting above the insulationmeans providing a lamp contact member, the

bottom of said contact hump being adapted to have a lead wire solderedthereto.

6. In a single contact lamp socket, a terminal contact member comprisinga disc like member of conducting material, insulation means securedabout the peripheral flange of said disc like member, the center of saiddisc member being formed into a hump projecting above the insulationmeans providing a lamp contact member, the bottom of said contact humpbeing adapted to have a lead wire soidered thereto, said insulationmeans comprising a pair of Washer-like members.

7. In a single contact lamp socket, a terminal contact member comprisinga disc like member of conducting material, insulation means securedabout the peripheral flange of said disc like member, the center of saiddisc member being formed

